


Piano Man

by SomeGoodSheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, COVID-19, First Meetings, Fluff, I dunno I just thought of the song while writing it, M/M, POV Keith (Voltron), POV Shiro (Voltron), Quarantine, Song: Piano Man (Billy Joel), and the rest is history amirite, college student! keith, college student! shiro, he's called james in this one, keith play the piano, oh yeah keith's dad is alive and he happily lives with krolia you're welcome, partially based on a true event, shiro just likes listening to him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25496176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeGoodSheith/pseuds/SomeGoodSheith
Summary: It is on the third day of the Covid-19 quarantine when Shiro hears someone plays the piano.Since then, he can't get enough.
Relationships: Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith's Father/Krolia (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46
Collections: #ficwip 5k





	Piano Man

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to [taurus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taurussieben/works) for the great help and to [Rita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abyssiniana/works) for being, as always, the best beta-reader ever ❀❀  
> And of course, thank you [muse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/museaway/pseuds/museaway/works) for the opportunity to take part in the 5k challenge ♡

It was on the third day of the quarantine, at the very beginning of spring break, when Shiro first heard the piano being played near his window. 

He was sitting in his room, typing away on his laptop. The sound of the piano was a bit hesitant and slow—it was someone's first try. Shiro didn't recognize any of the tunes, but he was still curious; soon, he found himself walking to his garden. His gaze fell on the window of the near house that was viewable across the fence. 

He could see the young man clearly: Dark mullet pressed to his nape; he was skinny and a bit tanned, a frown of concentration on his face; and, if Shiro would admit, he was simply put… beautiful. 

That was when he realized—he knew this man from university. He saw him on the bus occasionally before the quarantine began, and if he remembered correctly, they took some classes together as well, though he didn't remember seeing him in the  _ zoom _ class meetings. It was strange that he never noticed him before, but then again, the demanding nature of his studies, and now, with the new Covid-19 outbreak, one would understand how occupied his mind has been lately. 

Besides, Shiro didn't really have any direct contact with his neighbors, either, other than saying "hi" from time to time or lending each other some things like flour or sugar. It was pretty logical that he didn't meet all of them. 

But this guy… Shiro wouldn't mind getting to know him. 

He sat on one of the chairs in the middle of his garden, pretending to absorb some of the sun's heat, while he was actually listening attentively to each and every soft sound of that instrument. 

♫

It has been two weeks already. Despite the fact that spring break was over already, each day, the neighbor played. He was getting better—Shiro could clearly hear it. 

Other people would have told the other man to stop, that now that everyone is home, frustrated by the new pandemic and anxious about their jobs, there was no place for playing the piano. But Shiro didn’t think that at all. He was happy to hear the neighbor’s hard work was worth his while, and, of course, that he himself could hear the progress. 

He found himself visiting his garden every day, between his online classes, after finding out he couldn't tell who his neighbor was—he was one of the students who never turned their cameras on during classes. 

As a compromise, Shiro sat in the same spot with a cup of coffee to his left and a book on his lap and listened. 

♫

Shiro discovered a while later that the nameless piano man was actually Krolia and James Kogane’s son. Thank god, neighbors that he  _ did _ know—kind and friendly neighbors, at that. 

Shiro saw the two after they were buying some groceries in a nearby store, and he asked them about the tunes that came from the direction of their building. 

"Yeah, it’s our Keith," James said proudly. "He plays from his apartment, above ours."

_ Keith,  _ Shiro thought.  _ So that's his name.  _

"Why? Does it bother you that he plays?" Krolia asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh, no, not at all," Shiro hurried to clarify, "I really like it, actually."

"Oh. Good. Because even if it would have bothered you, I would have told you to mind your own business."

"Ahaha, yeah. I know. I was just curious because he plays every day."

"Yes, he does," Mr. Kogane smiled. "It helps him keep a routine, and get his mind off of things. Above all, he loves it. It makes him happy."

"That's really important. I'm glad he found something like that."

"Yeah. Us too."

Shiro never told them that it actually helped him, as well. Not only in routine or as a distraction—it calmed him down in ways he didn't know were possible, and, at the same time, it excited him. He found himself anticipating the moment Keith would sit by the piano again, play the same song over and over again until he would get it right and move on to the next piece.

It was always around noon, always started slowly, always with the same song. 

Each time that Keith got better, Shiro felt kind of proud, even though he knew he wasn’t really entitled to feel that way. But he couldn’t help it. Somehow, he felt like Keith’s music had made him somewhat closer to him as if he was a part of something private or had an unspoken invitation to a whole new world. 

He wanted to know so much more, but never had the guts to say anything directly.

♪

"We’re back," Krolia announced as she stepped into the house, sliding her face-mask onto her chin. James followed behind her. 

"Hey mom, hey dad," Keith told them. They called him in advance to have lunch together, and since he took a break from his piano practice and didn't have classes that day, he was already in their apartment before their arrival. When he saw them stepping inside, he made his way to the kitchen to help them put the newly bought groceries in their place. "Did everything go okay, or did you fight with that lady over toilet-paper again?" 

James chuckled and put the cotton bags beside him near the refrigerator, as Krolia huffed and glared at her son. "It went fine. And it happened just once, Keith."

"Yes, but it was hilarious."

"It was  _ ridiculous _ . She took so many packs for no good reason at all."

"Yes, you told me. And that almost earned her a punch in the face. Good times."

"Stop saying silly things. Darling, tell your son to stop being saying silly things," Krolia rolled her eyes. 

"Keith, please. You know nothing good happens when you’re teasing your mother," James said, but with one look at his wife, he knew the plan already formed in her head. "So, uh, what do you want for lunch? We got some good chicken-flavored seitan slices… I’m thinking about cooking them with curry, coconut milk, and rice, hm? Maybe some vegetables?" He tried to change the subject, but Krolia was too fast for Keith to react to his father’s suggestion. 

"We saw your crush today," Krolia said, gazing at James for a single moment before rolling her eyes back to her son. 

Keith's giggles indeed vanished as soon as he heard what she said. His face changed colors instantly, and he turned his head towards her with eyes open so widely that they almost covered his entire face. "What?!"

Now it was his mother's turn to smirk. "Mm-hm. And you know what else? He asked about you."

It seemed that Keith's mouth didn't know what to do with itself. "W-w-?!" 

"Krolia—" James tried to intervene again, and failed. 

"He said he really likes your piano playing," she continued. "Good thing you started, hm?" 

Keith had no idea what to say to that; he could only move his desperate gaze between his parents. His face was beyond red, and his throat had already squeezed shut. 

"I suggest that when you play today, look out your window. You might see him there listening to you," She added.

" _ Mom _ , there’s no way I can concentrate with him listening like that!" 

"Honey, he listens to you for over a month." 

"Yes, but I didn’t know that! Jesus—I can’t believe he heard the most embarrassing parts!" 

Krolia shook her head as her son scratched his scalp with both of his hands. Despite herself, she let a small smile crawl on her face again. "You’ve certainly inherited your father’s panicked-in-love phase," she chuckled, sending a knowing glance towards James, who cleared his throat and turned before she would see the blush on his cheeks. "But don’t worry. Just like him, you’ll grow out of it once you realize your crush is just as human as you." 

"I know he's a human being just like me. He's just… A  _ perfect _ one," Keith sighed. When his mother gave him a  _ look _ , he folded his arms together on his chest. “You didn’t see him in college, okay?"

"Oh, please. You know I'm only teasing. You know your father and I will support you no matter what, right?" 

"I know… thanks," he sighed, with a hint of a smile. "And curry sounds great, dad. I can help you with it."

"Finally," James grinned, and while Krolia put the last of the groceries in its place, the two began preparing their meal. 

Keith couldn't get Shiro off of his mind the entire time. 

♪

That afternoon, after finishing lunch, Keith went back up to his apartment, which was just one floor above his parents. It belonged to them initially, but Keith moved there to get ready to begin his life outside of his parents' comfort; he got stuck there, however, after the pandemic began. It was independent enough, for the time being. 

Looking at his work-room, he licked his lips and made his way inside. He touched the closed piano, the tips of his fingers tingling. He could feel the heat come to his cheeks again as he rolled his eyes towards the window to his left. 

Would he really be there, waiting for him to play?

Biting his lower lip, he finally dared to look. 

Shiro was there. He sat underneath a light-colored parasol, surrounded by the grass and flowers of his small garden. A half-empty coffee mug was placed on a chair beside him, his prosthetic hand holding an open book above his knee, which was bent on top of the other. His face was handsome and calm, and he wore a tank-top that revealed his arms, one made of metal as the other was a firm, tanned arm that Keith wanted to stare at forever. 

His face grew hotter the more he watched. 

Keith wondered, however, if he really was there to listen, or if his piano playing would just bother his neighbor reading under the sun. 

But his mom said that he listened. It meant that he knew when Keith was playing, and if he was outside by now, he knew that Keith would soon play again.

Well. All he had to do was to see how Shiro reacted to his playing. 

He sat by his piano. Making sure that he could still see Shiro while sitting down, he put the hands on the keys. After a small hesitation, Keith began to play.

His hands shook, at first, but at the same time, were too stiff. It felt hot in his room, despite the ceiling-fan being turned on. Knowing that he was being listened to—by Takashi Shirogane, no less—made his chest tight, but he didn’t want any of the emotions it evoked in him to distract him too much. Not if he wanted to impress him. 

After a few moments, it felt easier to play. His fingers felt looser. It was a song he knew by heart already, but going back to it always made him more confident. His eyes were closed for a while as he absorbed the soft sounds, and finally, he looked at the window again.

Shiro’s book wasn’t open anymore. His coffee remained the way it was before. His eyes were closed, and a small smile spread on his face as one of his fingers tapped on his knee along with the rhythm. 

Keith’s eyes widened at the sight. He had secretly hoped Shiro would notice one day, but he didn’t actually think that his silly wishful thinking would turn out to be the truth. 

Now that he did, however, he knew that he had to get better. 

  
  


♫

A while passed, and it seemed Keith got stuck on a certain song for days. Shiro could hear it—the difficulty of the piece made him frustrated. 

Unlike other pieces that Keith played, which were pop, rock, or jazz, this one was classical. It had been three months now, and with the amount of time Keith dedicated to playing, Shiro knew he would ace it eventually. 

That time, however, didn’t come so far. As Shiro listened, he noticed that Keith got so frustrated at some point that he cut it off in the middle with a devastating throw of his fists on the keys and left the piano for the rest of the day. 

Shiro felt bad. He wanted to cheer him up, letting him know it was okay to make mistakes and struggle along the way. 

But he didn’t know how to approach him. Going to his house was impossible and embarrassing; shouting from the garden embarrassed him even more. Telling Krolia and getting the message passed through her would just make Shiro look lame. 

Eventually, he got an idea he saw online: Writing a sign and putting it up above his window, in hope that Keith would somehow see it in the corner of his eye and maybe feel a bit better.

It was better than doing nothing, Shiro told himself. 

_ You can do it! Patience yields focus _

♫

The next day, when Shiro sat in his garden again, he noticed a sign of reply by Keith’s window. 

**_Thank you_ **

**_I’ll do my best_ **

He felt his chest filling with warmth, and a smile automatically spread across his face. 

Looking down at his coffee, he heard the soft piano tunes again and leaned back comfortably in his chair.

♫

They started communicating this way for a while. Asking for a phone number felt somewhat inappropriate, and shouting out seemed even less agreeable. 

The exchanged signs varied from  _ Good luck with the finals! _ to  _ Whose song was it today? _ and  _ Was that black cat yours??  _

The signs multiplied as time passed. While he imagined that others would think it was silly, Shiro liked the way they communicated. It was safe, distant, but still intimate. More intimate than Shiro had thought it to be. 

He found out a lot about Keith: He wanted to get a dog the moment he'd have a bigger place; he has been a vegetarian since he was a kid, with his parents joining him lately; his music taste varied from classic rock to j-pop; he was always fascinated by the stars and wanted to be a pilot one day. 

The more Shiro got to know him, the more he revealed about himself. The books he liked, the stars he watched, his awful cooking skills, how he had to cut off his jogging around the neighborhood and instead began exercising at home. 

One morning, when Shiro sat by his window, he noticed Keith was looking at his direction. Smiling, he indicated for the other to wait where he was, and when he had Keith's attention, he went to bring some paper sheets and a marker. He preferred to write signs again rather than shouting. 

He lifted his sign after making sure his handwriting was clear enough. 

_ How are you this morning?  _

Keith blinked, but soon enough, replied in the same way.

**_I'm ok. You?_ **

_ I'm great! Will you play today?  _

**_You know it_ **

_ Do you know Piano Man by Billy Joel?  _

**_Sure. Do you want me to play it?_ **

Shiro hesitated. He felt embarrassed that he accidentally made a request, although he didn't mean to. What if Keith was uncomfortable with them? 

_ Oh no you don't have to  _

_ The song is just stuck in my head _

Yet as he lifted his eyes from and was about to show Keith the sign, the latter was already by his piano. He adjusted his seat and took a moment before he began to play the song. 

He only played a couple of verses and the chorus, but Shiro already felt like he could listen to him play forever. He was so precise and confident—Shiro admired him for those qualities. 

Once Keith was done, he waited for a moment, as if catching his breath, before turning to Shiro again. His cheeks were red as he bit his lip— _ so cute,  _ Shiro couldn't help but think. 

_ That was wonderful _ , Shiro's sign said.  _ Thank you Keith! ꕤ _

Hesitant, Keith wrote his reply a moment later. 

**_Sure thing_ **

**_And thanks_ **

Licking his lips, Shiro thought of what else to say. He didn't want the conversation to die down, now that they were finally communicating face to face. Well, kind of. 

_ How come I never saw you in class?  _

_ Or on zoom, for that matter _

**_I always sat in the back._ **

**_And I don't like turning my camera on_ **

**_It's embarrassing_ **

_ I'm sure it's not that bad  _

**_Believe me, it is_ **

_ Good thing classes are over then _

**_Fucking finally_ **

_ You have all the time in the world to play now _

**_You'll have to suffer more than usual from now on_ **

_ I'm ok with that _

♫

After some time, however, Shiro found himself yearning to meet Keith in person. He wanted to have a proper chat with him and sit on a cup of coffee, but who knew if it was possible. They were neighbors, but they couldn't risk going to each other's places yet. He could tell Keith didn't go out much, but Shiro himself was out for grocery shopping from time to time; people didn't always wear a mask, nor did they always keep social distance. 

… Or maybe, just maybe, he was too afraid to ask Keith out. 

♫

Summer break began. It didn't do much to keep the pandemic at bay, like everyone hoped, and living with it was undeniable. 

♫

Shiro went out to his garden later than usual. He didn’t hear Keith’s playing yet, which made him wonder if something had happened, but maybe his neighbor just needed time that day. 

He sat down with a cup of iced tea and another book he took from his room. He had a few sips, read through the book’s summary that was written on its back, and just by chance, lifted his head up to look at Keith’s window.

It was right then when he saw Keith himself. He stood there in his room, looking at the piano for a few moments, before sending his gaze towards Shiro.

His breath got stuck in his throat when Keith made his way to the windowsill. 

His neighbor's face seemed determined and rather flushed, his arms pressed to his sides. He looked like he desperately wanted to say something, but hesitated. 

He lifted a sign a moment later, being so swift that Shiro blinked in surprise. 

**_DO YOU WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH ME TONIGHT_ **

Shiro stood there, stunned. He didn't even realize he was standing; it seemed his body functioned without his mind paying attention. His heart drummed in his ears.

His head was nodding before he could stop himself. 

Another sign was lifted a moment later. 

**_CAN I HAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER_ **

**_HERE IS MINE_ **

**_xxxxxxxxxx_ **

Shiro was dumbfounded for a while, as if his mind had a hard time processing what was happening. When he came to, he hurried to take his phone out of his pocket and write down Keith's number, his fingers shaking. 

He sent Keith a short  _ hello _ , feeling his blood rushing all over. When he saw that his neighbor was calling back, the rush of his blood stopped, instead freezing midway. 

He had no idea how he managed to swipe green. 

"Hey."

"... Hey."

They were silent for a moment, but it was Keith who cleared his throat and continued. 

"I'm. I'm sorry I asked for your number suddenly. I just…"

"No, no, it's fine. It's more than fine."

"Really?" 

"Really. It's… I'm glad to hear your voice." 

Shiro heard Keith let out a mix of a chuckle and a breath of relief. 

"Yours too," he said softly. "Is… is seven-thirty at my place okay?" 

"Yes. Yeah, definitely."

"I mean, if you don't want to with the virus still around and all—"

"No, no," Shiro said, his voice finally finding its confidence. "I'd love to come."

"Awesome. Then I'll see you later."

"Yeah. We'll see each other then."

When the conversation was over, Shiro put his phone on the chair beside him. His smile spread across his face, and he couldn't help but cover it when he felt his cheeks were hot. He laughed, feeling his heart bursting in his chest. 

When he finally managed, he looked up at Keith's window, but he was already gone. 

But he didn't worry. They were really going to meet tonight. 

And it made Shiro incredibly happy. 

**Author's Note:**

> My friends already know but this fic was inspired by my own experience! Ever since quarantine began here, one of my neighbors began playing the piano. I still hear them today but I have no idea who they are, only that they're somewhere in the nearby building. It's still pretty nice to listen to them from time to time.  
> So thank you, mysterious neighbor, for being an inspiration!
> 
> This work was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoyed it as well.


End file.
